Prince William Says He Would Support His Children If They Were LGBTQ+

Prince William ‘Absolutely Fine’ If His Children Identified as Gay or Lesbian

Ahead of the Pride in London Parade, the U.K.’s Prince William, Duke of Cambridge showed he would be a king for all people when he said he would be “absolutely fine” if his children came out as gay or lesbian, the Guardian reports.

The comment came during a visit to the London headquarters of the Albert Kennedy Trust, an LGBTQ+ charity established to help young people who have become homeless because of their sexual orientation. When asked by a young gay man how he would react if one of his three children said they were gay, William replied: “I think you don’t really start thinking about that until you are a parent, and I think – obviously, absolutely fine by me.”

But the question obviously hit a nerve with the prince. He proceeded to talk about his concerns that his three children could face persecution, discrimination and extra public pressure if they came out as gay.

“The one thing I’d be worried about is how, particularly the roles my children fill, how that is going to be interpreted and seen,” the prince added. “So Catherine [his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge] and I have been doing a lot of talking about it to make sure they were prepared.

“It worries me not because of them being gay; it worries me how everyone else will react and perceive it and the pressure is then on them.”

The Duke of Cambridge met people supported by @aktcharity and spoke with staff about the services they provide including the ‘Purple Door’ safe house, LGBTQ+ ‘host’ (or carer) services, in-person and online mentoring programmes and a range of youth engagement activities. pic.twitter.com/gjkBzbtjCO

When talking with another man the prince admitted to being concerned about how much harder his children’s lives would potentially be if they were gay or lesbian.

“I wish we lived in a world where, like you said, it’s really normal and cool,” the prince said. “But particularly for my family and the position that we are in, that’s the bit I’m nervous about.

“I fully support whatever decision they make, but it does worry me from a parent point of view how many barriers, hateful words, persecution and discrimination that might come. That’s the bit that really troubles me a little bit.”

The prince’s response can almost feel like it was delivered with an of-course-I-support-my-children shrug, but at least one commentator is heralding it as a game changer for LGBTQ+ rights.

“This is a huge moment for LGBT people around the world,” BBC News’ LGBT correspondent Ben Hunte wrote.

“For a member of the British Royal Family to give such an endorsement to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights, and their fight for equality, is a big deal, especially in a time when the visibility of LGBT people is being continually questioned.

“However, with the Duke of Cambridge being a figurehead for the Royal Family as well as the Commonwealth, it is also worth remembering that homosexual activity is still a criminal offense in 35 of the 53 Commonwealth nations — and it is only legal in 18.”

Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge have three children — five-year-old Prince George, Princess Charlotte, four, and one-year-old Prince Louis. The first royal same-sex wedding took place last year when the Queen's cousin, Lord Ivar Mountbatten, married his partner James Coyle.

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